Over 6,000 books collected in two weeks

The Day informed about a library with a stock of 50,000 burning down in Hryhory Skovoroda’s native village, destroying a unique record of local history in a place held sacred by many in Ukraine as the place where the great philosopher was born. The flames consumed all the fiction literature, textbooks, encyclopedias, and dictionaries... People living in Chornukhy are unemployed and cannot afford to subscribe to newspapers. They don’t even remember magazine titles. It has been long since they have seen books by modern authors. For them, social progress stopped when Ukraine became an independent state.

Separated from Kyiv by a three hours journey, the populace learns news from visitors and from television programs (not all have TV sets in their homes and those that do watch hear things that do not exist in reality but which those in power want them to believe).

A humiliating situation. A flagrant violation of the constitutional right to live. A situation fraught with danger for the entire country. Children there are discriminated against, compared with those in the city; they are practically barred access to institutions of higher learning because their parents cannot pay for tuition. Now the situation is even worse because they have limited access to a secondary education. There is one textbook per class and mothers have no books from which to read their children tales at bedtime. And this at a time when the world is discussing the Harry Potter phenomenon!

All this inspired us to try to change the situation. To have the library rebuilt, one must visit countless bureaucratic offices with practically no hope of positive responses, because the regime considers national culture a matter of the lowest priority. Someone somewhere must have worked out a scheme and it is quite effective, for people living that way can form a separate obedient human species; they take orders, never question them, and are surprised if not physically punished. It is a topic that can be pondered and complained about endlessly, but we can also resist. Some might think it strange, but this resistance could manifest itself in the joining of forces by people aware of true values, knowing the true worth of all those putting themselves on a pedestal dented by the hooves of so many aspirants...

We can restore that library and it will be our victory over swinishness spreading in our sacred land. We can explain that this place must be visited by people from all over the world wishing to touch the earth upon which the philosopher walked and whose freedom no one was able to buy. It is here that the world will learn the truth about us, will see us for what we really are, because if we leave everything the way it is, the truth about us will remain on Independence Square with its monstrosities.

The past week has shown that we have such people. After the publishing companies Fakt and Kalvaria responded that same day, we received a call from Yuri Nezelsky, Ph.D. (Chemistry). He and his wife were contributing over 200 books from their library and he said he was launching a book-collecting campaign at the institute.

Dr. Semen Hluzman, a noted human rights champion, visited the editorial office, bringing two crates of books. Radio Ltava in Poltava joined the project, urging the city residents to contribute books.

The Ukrainian TV channel Kultura followed suit and the cameraman, engineer, and editor working on the special program brought their books immediately afterwards.

The Franko drama company, the book trade enterprise Ukrknyha, the newspaper Knyznyk Review, and Lviv’s publishing company Svichado are sending donations to Chornukhy.

Kyiv’s Viaton Society (director: Anatoly Sydorenko) sent a busload of excellent new editions - books, textbooks, albums - and their magnanimous gesture makes one wish to say out loud,” Look at them! That’s what people should be like.”

Kyiv’s Daycare Center No.176 and the Obolon Children’s Health Center have also sent books.

We receive calls from people who refuse to identify themselves but say they want to send their libraries. There are people wishing to hand over books inherited from relatives. They believe that their relatives would be happy to know their legacies have been used in such a way.

Let me add that Elia Plokhenko, assistant director of the Without Taboos TV program, has been visiting people wishing to donate books, assisted by 1+1 drivers helping us in between television assignments, adding to the future stock of the Skovoroda Library. We are prepared to visit you on short notice. We are happy to see people help the selflessly dedicated Elia. Please call, we will inscribe your names in large letters in our list of all those knowing what life is really all about. The Day is already receiving names on that list:

Natalia O. Volkova; Yuri M. Nezelsky; Nina V. Halak; Yevsei A. Shamis; Halyna I. Sholokh; Rima H. Remezovska; Anatoly H. Soprykin; Natalia D. Mykhailova; Yuri V. Makarov; Natalia Shimanska; Valentyna V. Koroleva; Roman Kulchynsky; Halyna Shabanova; Antonina S. Zayets; Semen F. Hluzman; Stepan H. Zadorozhny; Valery Lysenko; Marina Lebedeva; Yevhen Bahmet; Halyna M. Syta; Vitaly F. Hutsalo; Franko Drama Company; Ukrknyha book- trading Enterprise; Institute of Archives and Scientific Documentation (director: Iryna B. Matiash, D.S. {History}); Knyzhnyk Review Newspaper (chief editor: Kostiantyn Rodyk); Daycare Center No.176; the Vioton Company (manager: Anatoly I. Sydorenko); the Obolon District Children’s Ecological Health Center (head of the curriculum department: Viktoriya L. Marynych); the Kultura TV channel (chief editor: Tamara A. Boiko); research department, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy; Yevhen Yu. Koverznev; Halyna Yarova, director of the Hetmanate Museum; Kostiantyn Dolny, D.S. (History); Nina V. Halak; Valentyn M. Demianchenko (all residents of Kyiv); Iryna Slobodianska, t. Brovary; Svichado Publishers, Lviv; Ltava Poltava regional TV and radio company (director of the wire radio department: Inna Yakovenko).

Welcome to call or visit Olha Herasymiuk (and, of course, Without Taboo team): tel. (044) 490 7670, and The Day: tel. 414 9126.

Several parcels have already been sent to Chornukhy and several librarians are sorting out the books, all on a voluntary basis, writing out index cards (no typewriters, let alone computers).

You can send money to the settlement account 25424200371, Poltava Bank, Chornukhy, MFO 331489, Code 02229988.

You can also send help direct to Chornukhy (30 Lenin St., Chornukhy, Poltava oblast, Ukraine).